The Japanese arm of moral crusader group UNICEF is pushing for a ban on all depictions of minors in “sexual” poses, with swimwear in anime mentioned specifically, a move which would have devastating effects on the world of anime, manga and games.

Gearing up for their participation in a major international conference discussing curbing the sexual exploitation of children, opening in Brazil in November, the group painted a hysterical picture of a massive increase in recent years of the availability of pornography featuring underage participants over the Internet.

They accused the US, Russia and Japan of being foremost in harbouring such sites.

Complaints about the supposed laxness of Japanese laws against possession of such material were also made, but in their most strident assertion, they insisted upon the urgent necessity of new laws to curb swimwear wearing children in “sexual” poses appearing in anime and similar.

Some say such a move would likely inevitably be extended into mainstream anime from the initial soft target of more erotic representations.

Top UNICEF Japan honcho Agnes Chan, a Chinese pop star with controversial affiliations with a religious organisation many consider a cult, closed the assembly saying: “The problem of the sexual exploitation of children is becoming more and more acute and extensive. We have to bring together the people and the government, and take the necessary action for the protection of the children.”

Recall that only recently the Japanese government temporarily sidestepped the controversial issue of banning two-dimensional portrayals of underage sexual activity, so the group will likely be seeking to influence this issue.

Without much in the way of a slave trade to attack in Japan, and with rates of child abuse far lower than elsewhere in the developed world, it seems the group is nevertheless intent on using up its contributions to ensure further restrictions on freedom of expression in Japan.

Ahh how it makes me laugh at how people like them wish to banish something they hate INSTEAD OF WALKING AWAY FROM IT! or ignoring what they hate. I mean hey lets ban all sorts of anime until we are stuck with one type and make the world less fun and force all sorts of western entertainment on us once again. I really really hate it when groups of people who don't like something have to go find out where it is and bash it down then go "yay now what?? i know lets go bash at pedos".

The fact that Japan has pretty low rates of child abuse suggest that your argument fails. Also, when Denmark made porn legal (or uncensored) many years back, sexual crime actually decreased, suggesting further that porn can have a "valve" mechanic -- when the rush of porn and masturbation abates, rather than risking time in jail one may well go back to more porn and more masturbation.

An American and two Canadians have been ARRESTED as child sex offenders for nothing more than owning animated or still drawing/paintings/CG of minors having sex. In other words, a fantasy of someone under 18. No real minor was involved.

This sucks sooo bad. These will haunt these guys for LIFE - all employers will see is a charge of a violation of child sex laws and will consider them the same as a child predator - the worst scumbags there is (except maybe for lying, traitorous, mass murdering President, but I digress).

This is thought police crap. We have the basic human right to enjoy ANY fantasy we want and this information needs to be private. It only if Real Child are involved should this be a crime.

Now U FAIL HARD, UNICEFail. Instead of going for the leaders of REAL prostitution/extortion/raep/molestation/"insert real criminal here", they pick on us, LOLI ANIME. Do they want a disclaimer on every pantsu loli anime? "No children were harmed in the making of this anime." Misplaced Priority, AND pointing the finger at us, just to make us look like the criminals (and to make them look like they are "HELPING")... Now why don't you, UNIFAIL, stop this nonsense and do what you've always done? Protect REAL children!
PS: If they DO succeed (against loli anime, shudders) but it (the child abuse situation)gets worse, well, they're gonna have a LOT of problems for years and years to come...

I've sent a polite yet concerned e-mail to UNICEF Japan. I hope it has some small impact. Text below:

To whom it may concern:

It was with great concern that I read a report at YOMIURI ONLINE about your plan to lobby for outlawing all depictions of minors in poses which may be construed as sexual. I have nothing against protecting real, living children from abuse, and applaud your suggestion of stricter laws against child pornography involving real children, but I have to draw the line at claiming that fictionalised drawn children not modelled on any living person require the protection of UNICEF. I have donated to your organisation several times in the past, and it pains me to see this donation money go to what I perceive as a frivolous, wasteful pursuit rather than helping the real, living children who urgently need support and protection. I am afraid I shall not be interested in donating any more money to UNICEF until you concentrate on real children rather than inanimate drawings, obscene though they may be.

Today's "Freedom" is a sad bastardization of the "Freedom" of old, or were we ever truly free as a race? Before government I suppose, this is definitely the brink of the storm, there is so much more to come! Brace yourselves people, we're soon going to be seeing something similar of the civil rights movement, I've got a feeling =).

I think its time that atheists and spiritual agnostics finally stand up to the centuries of religious stupidity and put an end to these mindless cults once and for all! (as the movie Religious depicts) Religious groups for the most part are long outdated forms of control of the weak and sadly the mindless stupidity still runs this world. What can be no different than a mental disorder to fill in unknown aspects of life, religion is mainly dementia on a global scale. I believe there is a god in some form but we know nothing yet and won't know till science discovers it. Funny, I'm a former Catholic with family as major members in the church but like Lulu from Code Geass, I wouldn't mind leading a revolution to save humanity from its oldest and most powerful of evil tyranny. Stupid acts like this from UNICEF should not be tolerated. In the end its pen on paper, if the girls depicted were real, that's a different story.

sooner or later the entire female staff of unicef (100%) is going to get raped simply due to the laws that they made. and they will look up to the otakus and shout 'help us' and they will whisper: 'no'

Look on another side of this problem - Anime is not anatomically proper so we can't even tell are the anime people humans. Eyes that won't fit in skull, lack of nose sometimes, strange hair... So swimwear on them should be legal as well as loli.

hmmm.... I guess their trying to raise the next generation with a closed mind ehh?
Most Americans have closed minds already, Canadians are more open minded, but in Japan a closed mind doesn't exist on their ground ;p
If Brazil makes it illegal it would set another boundary limiting the minds of people in Japan. I know these images can be vary exasperating but this wouldn't help Japan's goal in future technology.
Parents just need to learn how to keep their children in check.

There's no requirement for speech to be creative in order to be protected, or American TV is pretty much dead.

I don't give a damn about sukumizu, but I find it offensive that people like you believe that freedom of expression applies only to the "morally sound", i.e. things you agree with.

This site is basically porn. You read this site. I'm sure there are people out there who believe that porn is not protected as free speech. Maybe you should reconsider your hypocrisy.

Child porn should be illegal because children who have not reach the maturity level to make informed decisions are harmed during the production process. Everything else should be considered free speech.

If killing is bad and depicting it is considered fine because there are no actual victims, then child abuse being bad makes for no argument against its depiction.

If footage of ACTUAL killing is allowed for entertainment purposes (ie. war, surveillance camera recordings, etc), why would a :depiction: of a much lesser crime be so wildly opposed?
That happens because some people want to force their views into others, and that's the very reason why free speech laws were created.

btw, DarkMirage: try to avoid using ad hominems - those can backfire and undermine your arguments.

I think I'd have to disagree with your crude characterisation of Sankaku Complex as "basically porn". If this were so, you assuredly would not be reading this kind of article on the site... Of course, no one could deny the site caters to a mature audience.

I really think people can be against this kind of ban, they obviously cannot show any kind of proof that sukumizu in anime is a big reason to sprout the pedophile within people, if they want to stop with children pornography they should search for the root of the problem, not just act like this to make it look like they're actually doing something.

Slightly sane people should be able to differ anime as a animated show from real life and the laws that abide such, and notice the act of UNICEF is purely bullshit.

Futhermore, if this site is basically porn, you must be a big fan of it, after all you are reading the news.

people like you thinks that limiting the Environment and adapting it to the human it can be called de-evolution since evolution is the process of a body when its adapts to its environment.

a lot of people think in that retarded way we must educate the children telling them what is right and what is wrong the age is just a cheap excuse to dont say them the truth, face the facts.

if we educate the people they will avoid being in danger or know how-to act in a dangerous situation... like martial arts do. am I wrong?

shit will happen that is the core of chaos theory, there is no way to avoid it, shit will still happening banning games, tv shows, and etcs because of its content its just a really pathetic excuse of this lame parents just to dont rise their child as they need to do.

im an example of having a good parent, i have been playing violent games since im 12, and anime since 10 and im a criminal or a pedophile? hell no i was told the limits of the life a hell of time ago.

"Free Speech," and the entertainment industry washes its hands when the crap hits the fan. They take no responsibility whatsoever. And (rap music, my good friends) most of them ARE thugs.

"Morally sound," so even the most sociopathic lunatic can create the most left-fielded piece of so-called "art." And, more-so-than-not, it gets an audience.

And it's not that I don't like it when "the envelope is being pushed." No, not at all. I just know where the line is.

----------------------------------------------

See that? That's "the line."

You enjoy it when Don Imus cusses out a mostly-African-American female basketball team. You love it when Michael Richards flings the N-word 5-times-consecutively at hackling patrons. You get wet in the pants when you see Youhei Sunohara get his butt handed to him by nearly everyone in Clannad.

My arms hurt but I shed no tears when I pigeon-hole people into the garbage bin. And the only way I'll stop is when I see a dramatic change from the top and trickling down.

So you're saying basically that, unless YOU enjoy the show. You PERSONALLY enjoy the show that is. It can go to hell. I loved Clannad thank you very much. Does my opinion not count? Oh... no of course not. Because the whole universe and it's laws on what is right and wrong is based upon what YOU DECIDE you do or don't like.

"Stuck in a rut", "crossing the line", "pot calling the kettle black". Anyone familiar with Tyrenol knows that he can't actually construct logical arguments, so he constantly uses meaningless metaphors and cliches as a smokescreen to cover his stupidity.

You like Strike Witches, Tyrenol. That means by your own standards, you belong in the garbage bin.

You like it when children are put into military service (read up about about the real-life horrors of child soldiers sometime). You like it when those children are turned into living weapons. You also like it when those children are sexually molested.

Scream all you want, but the more you post, the more obvious it becomes that you're just another hypocrite who can't even live up to his own crazy standards of "fictional abuse is just as bad as real-life abuse".

Anime - "Anime itself is considered a form of limited animation." this is a quote from wiki. With this in mind anime is no more that an art form or cartoon to the masses. Then anything portrayed is merely fictional. Any interpretation from these animes are merely the thoughts of each person watching. So if you see anime characters as people that is through your own choice to do so. Since they are not people. Since they are merely figments of your own interpretation. Things that happen to them should mean nothing. This Ban is the same as limiting your thoughts of something that could be deemed wrong. Thinking about something isnt illegal its only when actions are taken. The actions are taken because the person wishes it or feels compelled. So its the whole it promotes pedophiles that has brought about this ban. Anime does not in anyway make pedophiles. For example if you watch an anime of childen swimming in a pool thats fine. But if you precieve it to be a turn on then you have problems but still there is nothing wrong. When you act on what you seen then this is solely because you chose to do so and this isnt animes fault its your own.

Until an anime some how forces people (Making them unable to resist) to do things then it shouldnt be censored.

Hey Tyrenol, why don't you open your livejournal up for people to reply to your half-lucid, enraged blubbering so we don't have to shit up these nice peoples' comments with this? Because really, the latest thing on your livejournal? HILARIOUS.

Tyrenol has drawn us up the line here and woe be to he who crosses that line!!

Clannad, Sukumizu <- WAY OVER THE LINE!!!
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Men taking advantage of effeminate pre-teen boys and also pre-teen boys having sex with each other <- Just barely squeaks below it but is totally okay, really.

No Tyrenol, you obviously DON'T really want something different. If you really wanted something different, then you should have totally hated Strike Witches. It's a huge ripoff of other alternate-history imperial-navy anime, and uses every old cliche in the book. It's not even the first one to use moe fanservice for main characters, which was done years ago by many other titles such as Raimuiro Senkitan, Virgin Fleet, and Sakura Taisen, just to name a few.

Strike Witches is intentionally the same old stuff repackaged. You obviously don't really want something different.

Tyrenol is a Strike Witches fan.
Tyrenol is a Strike Witches fan.
Tyrenol is a Strike Witches fan.
*Tyrenol is a Strike Witches fan.*

Anyone who thinks that Tyrenol is anything but a ridiculous little man whose convictions only run as far as his continued fixation on his traumatic school years and his pathological need to feel 'bigger' than his otaku peers, that he is actually someone worth debating on this subject instead of someone worth shaming and ridiculing wherever he posts would do well to remember this.

We're going back to the dark ages, that is what's happening.
Lots of freedoms are being limited, and rights taken away by the most ridiculous reasons.

There's as many proof that violent games lead to violent behavior and crimes, as there are that anime fanservice automagically makes someone a pedophile.

What worries me the most isn't that some stupid moralists are trying to take other people's freedom away.

Stuff like that has happened to lots of other groups with different sexual fetishes.

What worries me is that people with enough power to do great damage are actually hearing and considering what those moralists are babbling.

And they are willing to sacrifice the rights of others with absolutely no proof of what they are claiming just because of this moral crusade.

It's just like saying "Violence has reached new highs. We have absolutely no proof that violent games leads to violence, but since it kinda seems it does, and we don't particularly like violent games anyways, let's ban it. Screw those who likes them and those who make a living of them, it's not my problem anyways".

For games, at least, there are lots of people who thinks it's acceptable to openly defend their rights.

As for fanservice in anime, unfortunately, not many people are willing to admit their own tastes.

We have to push our opinnion foward. I, for one, will be blogging my ass out with tons of sukumizu pics, and I hope all fellow bloggers will also do.

Laws like this MAKE criminals, having 2d drawings of little girls being raped by tentacles harms no one.
lets not waste money enforcing this shit but really look for real pedophiles that do real damage to real people.